The VRC provides practical instruction on choosing, applying, and aligning the right combination of evidence-based strategies that are best suited to a particular jurisdiction’s community violence challenge. A key feature of this instruction is the Practicum on Partnership-Based Violence Reduction.
The Practicum brings together local teams of community leaders, law enforcement, and service providers, among others, to be trained in the collaborative selection, implementation, and coordination of evidence-informed anti-violence strategies.
These multidisciplinary teams undertake joint learning activities, reinforcing the understanding that collaboration is essential to violence reduction. Participants are introduced to a wide body of evidence indicating that overall success depends on a balanced set of anti-violence strategies. That empirical understanding is then supplemented by practical guidance on multi-sector collaboration and team building.
Conducted over 3-5 business days, the Practicum features state-of-the-art instruction that is rigorous yet practical, profiling strategies supported by rigorous evidence of effectiveness, yet emphasizing real-world application and implementation. Participants learn from prominent researchers and experienced practitioners who have implemented anti-violence programs successfully in the field. The instruction does not favor either enforcement- or community-oriented strategies, but instead recognizes that both have their place and are best when coordinated with one another.
Working with Practicum instructors, participants also engage in a planning exercise to guide future anti-violence activities in their jurisdiction. If the jurisdiction currently has no plan, participants develop one; if a plan already exists, participants review and improve it.
It is expected that plan development will continue after the Practicum ends, so the VRC offers customized technical assistance to complete development and begin implementation. Working remotely, VRC staff answer questions, review materials, provide feedback, and offer ongoing strategic guidance on a wide array of issues.
These lifesaving trainings and services are free of charge. Numerous jurisdictions have expressed interest in the Practicum, but the initial cohort of participants must be restricted to 3-5 local jurisdictions due to capacity limitations.
Participating Jurisdictions
Selected Practitioner Contributors
Boston
- Charles Branas, Columbia University
- Melvyn Hayward, Chicago CRED
- Carl Miranda, ROCA Boston
- David Muhammad, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
- Eric Piza, Northeastern University
- Ben Struhl, University of Pennsylvania
- Daniel Webster, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Knoxville
- Lisa Barao, Westfield State University X
- Jeffrey Butts, John Jay College of Criminal Justice X
- Melvyn Hayward, Chicago CRED
- Christopher Mastroianni, Hartford Police Department X
- John McDonald, University of Pennsylvania X
- David Muhammad, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
- Jerry Ratcliffe, Temple University X
- Chico Tillmon, READI Chicago X
VRC Practice Resources
The VRC’s Practicum Guide describes Practicum goals, processes, and protocols.
Other Practice Resources
Many organizations are producing useful materials and providing assistance in this important area. Below is a curated list of selected high-quality resources for review.
The California Partnership for Safe Communities helps cities achieve near-term and community-wide reductions in violence; while improving police-community trust and increasing opportunities for community members at imminent risk of violence.
The Council on Criminal Justice’s Violent Crime Working Group, chaired by VRC Director Thomas Abt, offers a wide array of practical resources that can be found here on the Group’s website.
The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention builds and connects hospital-based and hospital-linked violence intervention programs and promotes equity for victims of violence globally.
The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) provides technical assistance, consulting, research, organizational development, and advocacy to reduce incarceration and violence, improve the outcomes of system-involved youth and adults, and increase the capacity of organizations that serve these individuals.
The National Network for Safe Communities provides evidence-informed violence reduction strategies to dozens of communities across America and beyond.
The Giffords Center for Violence Intervention researches and promotes community violence intervention strategies, connects community organizations to policymakers and to one another, and helps secure funding for violence intervention initiatives nationwide.
The READI National Center partners with communities to strengthen their approaches to community violence intervention through systems change, program innovation, field support, and knowledge sharing.
The Roca Impact Institute equips institutions and individuals with evidence-informed tools and strategies to address trauma, reduce violence and improve outcomes for young people.
The University of Chicago Community Safety Leadership Academies offer trainings for the next generation of policing and CVI leaders The effort brings together data and behavioral science insights of top academics and leading practitioners with a track record of real-world success.
The U.S. Department of Justice Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative supports efforts to address gang and gun violence, based on partnerships among community residents, local government agencies, victim service providers, community-based organizations, law enforcement, hospitals, researchers, and other community stakeholders.
